Safety catch for automobile doors



C. R. BRADLEY SAFETY CATCH FOR AUTOMOBILE DOORS Filed Aug. 27, 1946 INVENTOR. CHARLES R BRADLEY,

Patented July 11, 1950 SAFETY CATCH 2,514,738 FOR A ToMo ILEpooRs Charles R. Bradley, Springfield Gardens-N; Y. l

This'i'n'vention' relates to a novel safety-catch for preventing unauthorized or accidental opening of two adjacent doors on the same side of an automobile.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a door catch of the above indicated character which can be installed either on th inside or on the outside of the automobile.

It is another object of the invention to provide a catch of the character indicated above, in which connected members are extensibly adjustable for proper engagement with the door frames, and which can be drawn together and positively locked together for maintaining the doors in locked position.

In carrying out the invention, two members are connected slidably with one of them having an elongated recess and the other a clamping bolt engaging the recess for securing the two members in their adjusted positions. The ends of the connectors have hooks adapted to embrace the adjacent door frame side members at the adjacent sides of the window openings thereof. The hook of one connector is engaged behind a flange of the front door frame side member while the hook of the other connector is engaged behind a similar flange on the rear door. One of the connectors has a series of recesses along its upper edge, adapted to be selectively engaged by a projection on the other connector, whereby the connectors can be positively locked in adjusted extended or contracted positions.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a prospective View of the catch device removed from its connection with the car.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken through the region of the car where the catch device is applied and looking down upon the top of the catch device in its locked engagement with the car doors.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the inner connector.

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the outer connector.

Figure 5 is an end elevational view of the connector in assembled relation with a portion broken away to show the arrangement of the clamping bolt.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral I0 generally designates the illustrated safety catch device which comprises an elongated platelike connector I l and an elongated platelike con- 1 Q Aiipiicatmn August 27, 1946, Serial N ..69s,a:1s

' 1 Claim. (01. 292-258) 1 4 nector l 2, slidably'fconnected to the connector ll. Each 'ofthe connectors has its outer end formed to provide 'ahook l3 adapted to hook behind a vertical flange 14 of an automobile window opening. One hook is adapted to be hooked behind the flange Id of the front door l5, while the hook l3 of the other connector is adapted to be hooked behind a similar flange M of the rear door l6. Between the doors is the usual door post I! having jamb surfaces l8, l8 for receiving the free edges of the frames of the two doors.

On the inner connector H and at the top edge thereof, there are provided a series of notches I9 adapted to receive an inwardly bent projection 2| on the inward end of the other connector I2. The projection 2| is adapted to be entered in that one of the notches l9 which spaces the hooks I3 at the proper distance between the window flanges M. The inner connector II also has an outwardly and downwardly bent projection 22 adapted to rest over the top edge of the outer connector l2 to keep the connectors from buckling downwardly. Traversing the outer connector I2 is a clamping bolt 23 flared as indicated at 24 and at its outer end, having threads on its outer end accommodating a clamping nut 25, as shown in Figure 5. The flared end 24 of the bolt is slidably confined in an elongated slot 26 extending longitudinally in the inner connector ll. With the projection 2| in place in one of the notches I9 and the clamping bolt 23 and nut 25 tightened, the connectors are rigidly associated and provide positive locking of the car doors I5 and IS.

The catch may be located either on the exterior of the car or on the inside thereof. It is preferably placed high in the window openings so that any attempt by a child to release the clamping bolt nut 25, would be quickly observed by one sitting in the car.

To take care of variations in the thicknesses of the car door flanges l4, a spring clip 28 on the outer connector [2 is provided, to engage the door post i! between the doors I5 and IS in a manner to hold the catch hooks I3, 13 engaged with the door flanges l4, M by tensioning the catch as a whole in a direction away from the door post.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is:

A catch for holding two adjacent doors closed on opposite sides of a door post with the free edges of the doors abutting the door post, said catch comprising a pair of elongated plates arranged in side by side relation to slide longiportions. on the free edges of the doors, a bolt having a shank passing slidably through a hole in one of said plates and extending freely throughs. a longitudinal slot formed in ltheiother. vof said plates, a head on said shank'bearing ag'ainst'theouter side of the slotted plate;land aclampine nut threaded on said shank and bearing against the outer side of the other of said plates whereby said lug is maintained in the selected one-oi the notches and said plates are clamped together, a lateral projection on a'longitudi-nalyedgevof one of saidiplat'es projecting across the related'ilongitudinal edge Of'tl'l'e' otherjplate and". formed 4 with a groove slidably receiving the last mentioned longitudinal edge, said bolt traversing said slotted plate at a point longitudinally displaced from said grooved lateral projection whereby tilting of the plates in one direction on the axis of said bolt is positively precluded while the longitudinal edge of the other of the plates is positioned in the groove of said projection.

- CHARLES R. BRADLEY.

REFERENCES. CITED,

The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 897,423 Stenberg Sept. 1, 1908 r 1,165,895 Nies et a1. Dec. 28, 1915 1,402;652 Protis Jan. 3, 1922 1,571,543 Fratzke Feb. 2, 1926 1 ,803,084 Wiziarde et val Apr .,28,,1931 1,845,338" Querna Eeb. 16; 1932 

